Artificial tooth



FFICE.

GEORGE E. MURRAY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARTIFICIAL TOOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,924, dated December 4, 1849.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. MURRAY, ofPhiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Teeth,and that the following is a full, clear and exact description 0f theprinciple or character which disting'uishes them from all other thingsbe- .fore known and of the usual manner of making, modifying, and usingthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which anenlarged view of a tooth and plate is shown.

To place my invention in a proper light, I must state the defects anddeficiencies of former modes of making artificial teeth, and connectingthem with the plates, &c. on which they were fastened; and theadvantages derived by my system.

The chief objects to be attained in artificial teeth are strength,durability, and a. perfect adaptation to the mouth, for the purposes ofarticulation, which should be achieved with the least possible .weight:-To effect same, or all of these objects, several modes havebeendevised, which experience has shown to be defective; such for instanceas inserting a screw plug into the root of the tooth, or inserting pinsor plugs into the side of the tooth, on to which a plate is riveted;this mode is now in most common use; but the disadvantages are manifold:if ever so well fitted, there is a space between the plate and tooth forthe saliva and acids to penetrate and corrode; the fastening is at adistance above the point of the tooth, which allows a leverage, eitherto break the tooth, or pry off the fastening, an accident of veryfrequent occurrence; and if it is required to grind off a large portionof the tooth to fit it to the mouth one of the rivets may be ground out,which would render the tooth useless; again in riveting the plate to thetooth, there is danger of loosening the rivets, which can not be againsecurely fastened; and when the plate is fastened, it projects beyondthe surface of the tooth, injures its configuration, is uncomfortable inthe mouth and impedes articulation, besides adding weight to the tooth;and the cost of fitting up greatly exceeds my improved tooth.

My improvements are as follows: I form a plate of metal by turning itsedges inward, as shown at (D) in the figures; the main part A beingflat, and then mold the tooth on to said plate, imbedding its edges orfianges in the body of the tooth, and having the outer surface of theplate flush with the surface of the tooth; in fact, making a part of itssurface: this plate is placed in the mold, with the flanges inwardstowards the body of the tooth; and the porcelain paste, or othersubstance o-f which the tooth is to be made, is then filled into themold and the plate will, by means of the flanges, become securelyfastened to the tooth; several variations of the plate may be made, suchfor instance as having a flange project from the center thereof, ormaking the inner edge -of the flange or flanges thick, by hammering orotherwise; they can be made at right angles to the plate, or inclinedthereto; the plate may be rectangular, or of other proper shape, to suitthe various cases to which it is applied and the metal of which it iscomposed may be platina, which I prefer, or some other metal, the toothbeing porcelain, or other composition known in the manufacture of teeth,the purposes of my invention being to supply a firm brace or supportconnecting the tooth and plate its whole length, supporting the toothnear the point and uniting them firmly together so that no foreignsubstance can pass between them and saving the expense and danger o-friveting them together.

Having thus fully described my improved tooth, and its mode ofmanufacture, what I claim therein as new, and for which I desire tosecure Letters Patent, is,

An artificial tooth having a plate co-mbined therewith, substantiallyinthe manner and for the purposes set forth.

GEO. E. MURRAY.

Witnesses:

JOEL COOK, J. M. RAYBOLD.

